The walled garden at Lingholm. Photo: Mandy Marshall

Dear Beatrix Potter Admirers, The Beatrix Potter As the year winds down, it seems fitting to thank all of you Society who have contributed photos, reports and items of interest over the last twelve months. "Pottering About" would not be Interested in learning more the same without you! In particular, thank you to Meredith about Beatrix Potter? McClung, Connie Neumann, David Pepper, and Carol Saldeen Consider joining the Society. frequently submit gems for all to enjoy. Meet others who are Heartfelt thanks to Carolyn Schaeffer who is retiring from passionate about Beatrix "PA". Carolyn has cast her eagle eye over every edition since Potter, her life and works. this newsletter's beginning, four years ago, and her friendly You will also receive the expertise will be greatly missed. It's been a pleasure, Carolyn! quarterly Journal and The November "PA" made note of the restored walled Newsletter, full of interesting garden at Lingholm and Mandy Marshall visited shortly after, articles about Miss Potter sending the beautiful and seasonal image (above) of the and the Society's efforts and garden and fells beyond, taken from the tearoom. A little events. more Lingholm news below.... Find the Membership form for download, and more Society News information about the Society here. Membership renewal time is upon us. The renewal form will be in the January Journal and Newsletter, on its way to you at the end of the month. A copy of the form is also available Save the Date: here and from the Society's website. Though it isn't possible to renew online, new Members can sign on through the May 20, 2017: website. Spring Meeting, Sloane Club, . The Society's AGM and annual Linder Memorial Lecture will take place March 4, 2017 at the Sloane Club, London. Doors June 9-11, 2017: will open at noon to give everyone plenty of time to visit with "Beatrix Potter in New each other and browse the sales tables, with tea, coffee and London on the Thames River: biscuits available (no lunch). The AGM starts at 2:00, followed A Symposium at the Linda by the Lecture. This year, the guest speaker will be Matthew Lear Center for Special Dennison, author of the recently released biography of Collections and Archives", Beatrix, Over the Hills and Far Away. Connecticut College, New London, CT. Plans for next summer's "Beatrix Potter in New London on the Thames River: A Symposium at the Linda Lear Center for September 9-10, 2017: Special Collections and Archives" are falling into place. More Autumn Meeting, Lake information will be available in the January J&N, the next "PA" District, UK. and, in January, on the Society's website. The event will run

June 9 to 11, at Connecticut College in New London, CT, with a special exhibit promised, great speakers, lively panel December 2, 2017: discussions, and the camaraderie of your fellow Beatrix Potter Festive Gathering, Sloane enthusiasts. Club, London.

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Read the previous issue of "Pottering About" here. Webte Visit the Society's web page: The Beatrix Potter Society

Connecticut College Photo: Betsy Bray Stay Connected

In Other News:

An article in the Montreal Gazette, by Bernie Goedhart, about Beatrix Potter and Quentin Blake that is part review, part fan letter. Yes, the subject of Blake and The Tale of Kitty- in-Boots has been well covered already in "PA", but this is one Pottering About Editor: last mention - can't say no to a columnist who has read Leslie Janet Sullivan Linder's A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter.

The Lingholm estate, pictured at the top of the page, has recently opened an artisan bakery in a small building that would have been the potting shed in Beatrix Potter's time. The bakery will produce bread and cakes for the café, and for people to take away. A short article appeared in Cumbria Crack.

Recently:

Photo: Fenwick

Photo: Fenwick

Newcastle's Fenwick store revealed their Christmas window displays. In a fitting end to a big year for Beatrix, her stories are featured in delightfully detailed and animated versions of the little books. A one-minute video showing the crowds that gathered for the unveiling, and details of some of the displays are included below. A better walk along the windows can be viewed here. They really are wonderful.

Meredith McClung was able to attend the talk given by James Rebanks in Salisbury, CT in November, as part of his US book tour. Meredith has this to say of the event: "Mr. Rebanks was greeted with loud applause by a full house of 300 people. He gave a warm account of his parents and grandparents who farmed in the Lakes before him, and he spoke of the fell farmers' concerns of today - the increased cost of running small farms; the lower cost of meat; and the competition of produce grown on industrial farms. The old ways of farming are more friendly to the environment than current industrial farm practices and society is asking for greener methods, giving hope for their way of life. A touching addition were the three Herdwick sheep in a pen outside the Inn, a surprise for Rebanks who was delighted to see them." Pictured below are Erin and Ray Bradt, of the Helder- Herdwyk Farm in East Berne, NY (90 minutes away from Salisbury), with their Herdwicks (Haley, Hermione and Lilac) and James Rebanks.

Photo: Meredith McClung

The Society recently held their annual Festive Gathering in London. The full report will appear in the April J&N but, for now, here's a peek at some of the goings-on:

Decorations:

Photo: Nessie Alexander

Miranda Gore Browne's incredible cake:

Photo: Nessie Alexander

Peter, waiting for company:

Photo: Angela Rijks-Bettink Thanks go out to Penguin Random House for the donation of little books to a community event in Redding, CT. The children heard a little about Beatrix Potter, curled up to listen to the stories, and were thrilled to be able to choose a Potter book to take home. Just look at those happy faces!

Meredith McClung with some of the new Potter fans in Redding, CT.

At the Theatre:

In the Netherlands:

Twenty-five years ago a Dutch theatre group performed "Potters beesten" (Potter's animals). In honour of the 150th birthday year, the performance will be appearing again in the Netherlands, running December 21 to February 19, 2017. There will be almost forty performances, all over the Netherlands. More information (in Dutch) can be found here.

Angela Rijks-Bettink discovered this preview of the performance on YouTube (no need to understand Dutch to enjoy - guaranteed to make you smile):

In the UK:

Kings Place, London; Sunday, January 18, 2017; Word/Play - The Fox Family & Richard Sisson: "The Tales of Beatrix Potter" In a unique family appearance, actor (Day of the Jackal, Edward and Mrs Simpson, Gandhi) will be joined by his wife, (, , Inspector Morse), daughter (The Pianist, , Upstairs Downstairs) and son (Any Human Heart, , Pride) in a performance of "The Tales of Beatrix Potter" (incorporating The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck) with musical input from the pianist Richard Sisson. If anyone has a chance to attend, please send a report - it sounds quite unique.

Three members of the Fox family: Edward Fox, top left, Joanna David, top right, Emilia Fox, left

In the US:

Enchantment Theatre's production, "Peter Rabbit Tales", will be performed:

January: Purchase, NY Reading, Gettysburg, and Kingston, PA Bel Air, MD Charleston, SC

February: Casper, WY Longview, Bremerton and Edmonds, WA

See the website for details on dates and tickets.

Photo: Enchantment Theatre

Books:

A new book, The Early Photographers of Perthshire, written by Perth locals Roben Antoniewicz (a photographer) and Dr Paul S. Philippou (historian), includes a chapter on Beatrix and Rupert Potter. The book is both celebration and archive of the contributions, large and small, made by Perthshire's early photographers. It includes details of the development of photography from its invention in 1839 through to the Great War. Among its 300 pictures are a couple of Beatrix's photos of rabbits. The book has been published by Tippermuir Books and can be ordered from UK book sellers, or directly from the publisher.

To accompany the book an exhibition of photography (photographs and cameras) is running at the AK Bell Library, in Perth, until January 13, 2017. No details on this exhibit were found online, but the library's location and hours are here.

Book reviews in the January J&N will cover:

The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots Over the Hills and Far Away, by Matthew Dennison Beatrix Potter's Secret Code Breaker: The Tale of Leslie Linder's Luck, Perseverance and Generosity, by Andrew Wiltshire The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations, by Emily Zach

Tidbits:

This five-minute video of Long Melford, Suffolk, from 1974 is worth a watch. The stroll around 1970s Long Melford is a trip back in time and, from about three minutes in, the interview with Lady Hyde-Parker is of particular interest as she reminiscences about Beatrix Potter and her connections to Melford Hall. You will no doubt recall the discovery, earlier this year, of the previously unknown sketches found tucked between pages of books in the Hall's library. The Jemima Puddle-duck toy that appears in the video can still be seen on display in Melford Hall - her photo is below.

P.S. Be sure to watch for more Jemima news in the January J&N!

The Melford Hall Jemima Photo: J. Sullivan

At a Family Literacy Night at College Street Elementary School (Manchester, TN), Jessica Parnham (9th Grade) assisted Fran Gray with her readings of Potter Tales. Jessica enjoyed Beatrix's life story and found they had a common interest in science. Jessica plans to be a microbiologist. That interest in evident in her choice of t-shirt (does the juxtaposition of Beatrix Potter and Sheldon Cooper give anyone else a smile?). Best of luck in your future endeavours, Jessica!

Jessica Parnham and Fran Gray Photo: Renee Parnham

Connie Neumann found an account of Greenock Girl Guides' (Scotland) weekend-long celebration of Beatrix's 150th birthday. The girls made peppermint creams, decorated cakes, "fished" for supper, hunted for buried treasure and danced. Full story and photos here. The article mentions that the Guides were thrilled to be presented with the very rare Beatrix Potter badge - available for this year only. A web search reveals this badge on the Girlguiding website, designed from a sketch done by Beatrix for the Girl Guides. What a lovely way to celebrate their link to Beatrix. There was also a Beatrix Potter Challenge for the Guides this year, noted in "PA" several months ago. The badge for completing the Challenge looked like this:

Connie also stumbled across a news article listing events at the Western Pocono Community Library (PA). The article mentions the library's Beatrix Potter Exhibit, donated by Jacqueline Mock, a member of WPCL's Board of Trustees - and also a BPS Member. If anyone living in the area has an opportunity to investigate the exhibit, we'd be eager to hear more about it.

In Closing: Thank you for reading. Please continue to send news of upcoming events, stories, photos and items of interest on all things Potter-related (in 100 to 150 words). The next issue of "Pottering About" is scheduled for the end of January. Please send submissions by January 24.

Happy New Year!

Copyright 2016, The Beatrix Potter Society All rights reserved, UK Registered Charity No. 281198

The Beatrix Potter Society, c/o 9 Villiers Court, Helmsley, Yorkshire YO62 5AX United Kingdom

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